Sailing Club Spotlight Melton Sailing Club

MELTON Sailing Club is looking for a new home after being given just two weeks to quit their current base. Owners Celtic Lakes Resort Frisby Ltd gave the club notice on the day more than 80 people had taken part in a try sailing Olympic legacy event. Members held a small protest on Saturday as they cleared the remaining boats from Frisby Water Park, their home for the past 40 years, and put them into storage. Commodore Mike Sharpe said: “At a time when the whole country is celebrating the success of Team GB at the Olympic Games we think it is tragic that a valuable sports facility should be lost to the people of Melton borough. “More than 80 people came to our Olympic legacy event to try their hand at sailing and over the years we have taught some 2,000 people to sail as we are a Royal Yachting Association Training Centre, the only one in Leicestershire. It’s a real shame to see it go.” Mr Sharpe said the club thought it had a reasonable relationship with new site owner John Carney, believing sailing would be an added attraction to would-be buyers of the new lodge park which is being developed. He said: “We didn’t see this coming. We took legal advice and while ultimately Celtic Lakes was probably within its rights to tell us to leave we do believe the short notice period was unreasonable. “We could have made a big fuss and perhaps won leave to hold on to the clubhouse for six months but we exist to sail for fun, not to wrangle.” Mr Carney said the decision was made because it had become increasingly difficult for the fisheries and sailing club to operate side by side. He said: “We have tried to make the two work over the past 12 months but they just don’t and our primary business is to develop a lodge park and fishery. “We are developing the resort and things are about to move at a very quick pace with the arrival of nine lodges in the next six weeks. “We plan to turn the clubhouse into an administration block and then extend it to create a bar, restaurant and shop.” Celtic Lakes has planning permission for 59 lodges in total and says it will be investing some £13.5m over the next five years. The sailing club, which has 120 members including about 30 cadets, is being supported by Melton Council which is scouring the borough for a new sailing base. Ronan Browne, Melton Council’s people manager, said: “We have been working with the club for 12 months and are keen to see a vibrant sailing club like this remain in the borough. We have agreed to store equipment free of charge in a unit we own and look at all options.” Councillors Joe Orson, Edward Hutchison and Trevor Moncrieff have all been trying to resolve the situation, too. An ongoing dispute about public access to the beauty spot is due to go before the county council’s regulatory board in October or November for adjudication.